Question

In the early 1900s, what did it mean for cities to be “dry”

Answer 1

In the early 1900s the concept of city to "dry" was raised first . This concept was implied to the cities in which there was ban of alcoholic beverage .Hence, cities with shortage or without alcoholic beverage was considered to be dry. So,any type of sale or purchase  along with transportation and manufacturing of these beverages are prohibited in the dry cities or states. In US these was enforce and laws was made to prohibit the alcoholic beverages.So, in the 1920 nationwide ban was adopted by the states. 

Answer 2

The cities in the US where alcohol was prohibited were referred to as dry. The Anti-Saloon League was set up in the early 1900s. Its purpose was to pass a constitutional amendment outlawing alcohol. The dry activists persuaded the city councils to limit business hours for bars, ban saloons in residential areas, charge a heavy fee for a liquor license and enforce a state ban on the sale of alcohol to the Native Americans.